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Prosecutors in Algeciras are seeking 10-year prison terms for three men accused of running a fraud in La Línea de la Concepción that promised lucrative jobs on the docks of Algeciras port in exchange for cash.
The Public Prosecutor says the men formed a structured organisation that, between 2017 and 2019, tricked jobseekers into believing they had contacts and influence in the port’s stevedoring sector. According to the indictment, some victims paid several tens of thousands of euros, with one alleged payment reaching €40,000.
The case has reached the Sección 7ª of the Audiencia Provincial of Cádiz, sitting in Algeciras, where the oral hearing began two weeks ago before being adjourned on 23 October because of a justified issue involving one of the parties. A new date has not yet been set.
Forty-two alleged victims
The prosecution says the police investigation gathered testimony from people who had handed over savings or taken out family and bank loans to meet the sums demanded. In total, the indictment refers to 42 complainants and puts the claimed compensation at €912,000.
Those sums would have to be paid jointly by the three defendants if they are convicted, along with legal interest. The prosecution is accusing them of continued fraud and membership of a criminal organisation.
In one of the incidents described in the file, a victim allegedly paid €25,000 in December 2018 after being told the money would secure a permanent job as a stevedore. The indictment says the offer was reinforced by showing wage slips said to belong to port workers earning around €4,700 a month.
How the alleged scam worked
According to the prosecution’s account, the accused used repeated meetings and word-of-mouth contacts to build trust among people hoping to work at the port. The alleged scheme was based on the false belief that access to permanent dock work depended on insider links and payment to intermediaries.
The investigation was directed by Investigating Court No. 3 in Algeciras. It is part of a broader pattern of cases in the Campo de Gibraltar involving false promises of work linked to the port and its highly competitive employment market.
The hearing is expected to continue once the court sets a new date.
